Refrigerating apparatus.



0. E. BORNHAUSER 6:1. E. HERMAN.l nunmal-:RATING APPARATUS. APPLICATIONFILED DEC. l5. 19H.

Patmedl 1M. 5, 19m,

4 SHEETS--SHEET l.

wald arman 0.* t. BOWNHAUSER 6:1. E. HERMAN. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPuc-AnoN man oec. 15. 1911.

hmmm@ Patented M. 5,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(tot nu,

0. E.- BORNHAUSER L l. E. HERMAN.

-REFRIGERAIING APPARATUS. APPLICATION man Dc.15. 1917.

Patented web. 5,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

0. EBORNHUSER 6A 1. E. HERMAN.

REFHIGEHATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIONHLED 050.15. 1917.

hmmm@ Patented Feb. 5,1918.

4 sugars-SHEET 4'.

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erro ia nonnnansniavann wenn lnnwaan Hannan,- or sannusnr, omo, assien'ons 'ro riin waen'nn niernrenna'rion contraria, or saitnusnr, onto.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

'To all 'whom t mayy concern:

Be it known that we, U'rro E. BORN- rrAUsER and JOHN EDWARD HERMAN, of

\ Sandusky, in the county of lllrie and State Vof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of whiclithe following is a specification.

Uur invention relates to refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type, and more particularly to refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type, wherein an ammonia liquid container, termed generator-absorber, acts alternately as a generator and as an absorber, being subjected, while acting as an absorber, to the action of cooling water, and on the other hand beingheaty Ved while acting as a generator.

Uur invention has reference mainly to lthe means for controlling theapplication of the heating and cooling means to the generator; to the means for controlling communication between the generator-absorber, and the ammonia liquid receiver; and to the vmeans for controlling the temperature of the refrigerator wherein the liquid animonia from the liquid receiver expands as a gas with consequent cooling effect. -And our` invention consists incertain improvements for these purposes which can best vbe explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, forining`part of this specification, to which reference will nowbe made for a better 35 understanding ofvthe invention. u

lin said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of-.so much` fof the refrigerating apparatus asis needed for the purposes tif-explanation.n

Fig. 2 is a side elevation `of the same at right angles to the plane of, elevationy in Fig. 1. l linl these gures portions ofy the shell of the generator-absorber are broken away td expose theinterior parts, and' portions'of the mechanical devices are insee-- tion.. Fign is a detached viewf in Sectional elevation of the diaphragm rcheck valve which automaticallytcontrols communication be-l 50, tween the generator-absorber and the liquid receiver, or rather betweenl .the generatorabsorber, and thecondensei in which tlie gas Y i'ec'iived from. the generator-absorber, when acting Ta'ajjgenerator, isreceived' and conspecification of LetteraJPat-entg i oiriricn Patented heb. 5, tmb.,

y Application filed December 15, 1917. Serial No. 207,3t8.

larged scale of the hydraulic diaphragm and e `f associated devices for operating thegas and -Water valves which control the supply of cooling water and gas-to the generator-absorber.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the valve box which 'contains the valves Ifor controlling the sup-f ply of water to the hydraulic diaphragm.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on an en largedscale of the refrigerator and refrigerating chamber associated withtheap aratus oit Figs. 1 and 2, showingfthe details of the thermostatically i governed diaphragm for controlling the outlet from the refrigerator or expansion chamber.

Fig.I 7 is ja horizontal axial section detached of the screw valve and casein Fig-6.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is one wherein the valvesA Whichshut'o1 and let 'on the heating andy cooling media tothe 'a generator-absorber, acording as the' latter is acting as a generat r or as an absorber,- 4are controlled by a oat in the liquid rec eiver, which rises andI falls with the rise and fall oi. the level of the'liquid in the receiver, the rising and falling movement being availed of to actuate mechanism lcyf Y `which the saidl valves are operated, as set forth in the application of Otto E. Born.

hauser rSerfNo. 149,516'iled Februaryt9,

1917 on which Letters Patent will` issue of even'dateherewith. The improvements subjectA of' our Ypresent application have indeed been made vizithspecialj reference tothe needs` of an apparatus ot the character ldescribedin said Bornhausers application,

and are shown in our drawingsfinconnection with an apparatus of that character.

A, is the'cylindricalshellof the generator-absorber, mounted in uprightposi-thin'l on the .ibase JB, containing the'burner B (shown-.in dotted lines) for heatingthe gen-' Jerator-absorber when used as. aA generator. i Gas i's supplied to the burner through a pipe b`,controlled by a'valve or. cocl: t', and a' small burner b2' suppliedwith gas ltroni a suitable source is providedy to furnish a pilot i '105 flame; as usual in devices of -this character.

The generator-absorber v,isi surmounted v by the ammonia liquid receiver C contain.- ing the Hoet C', and surmountingthe liquid receiver C is a water jacketed' condensing coil D communicating at one end d with the gas space withinthe generator-absorber, and at the other end d. With the liquid receiver C, as usual in apparatus of this kind-thus arranging these parts of the apparatus in exceedingly convenient and compact form..

The water for the cooling Water circulating system of the apparatus is supplied through a pipe E leading from a suitable Source of water supply. The water Athus supplied enters rst a cooling coil E in the liquid receiver C, and passes thence successively through the annular space between the external water jacket and internal ammonia pipe of the condenser coil D, and the dehydrating coil E2 in the gas space within the generator-absorber to the discharge pipe E?, in which is located a valve e', automatically operated to open and close concurrently with the opening and closing of the gas supply cock or valve b. In a by-pass from the Water discharge pipe E, is a cooling coil E4 located in the ammonia liquid containing portion ofy the generator-absorber A, the inlet end of said coil being connected to the pipe E3 at e2 above the valve e', and its outlet end e connected to the discharge pipe E3 ,below the valve e. Under this arrangement the coil vE8 will be included in the water circulating system when the valve e is closed (which is when thel generator-absorber is acting as an absorber) and will be cut out of the circuit when the valve e is open (which is when` the generator-absorber is acting as a generator).

A spring closing thermostatically controlled valve e of an suitable type in the water supply pipe is arranged to close vwhenever and so long as the temperature of the ammonia liquid in the .generator-abg sorber falls below a certain degree, with a view to avoid the use of water during the` period of quasi inactivity ofthe generatorabsorber, while the liquid receiver is giving up its contents to the refrigerator. The thermostatic device for holding the valve e open against the stress of its closing spring whenever and so long as the temperature of the ammonia liquid in the generator-absorber is above a certain degree is indicated in full and dotted line at e".

As thus far described the apparatus does' not difl'er essentially from the apparatusdescribed and claimed in the aforesaid a plication of Otto E. Bornhauser. Ser. 0.

We come now to those portions of the apparatus in whichgour present invention -1s ity by suitable-means to a standard c* ,on

embodied. Y

The-hydraulic diaphragm for operating imity to said valves, in which position it is supported `by a bracket f* laterally rojecting from the shell of the generator-a sorber A as shown in F i0'. 1. It consists of a case F of cylindrical form betweenthe anged meeting faces of the top and bottom sections of which is held the diaphragm f,"of rubber or other proper material, the rim of which is inserted and clamped between the flanged meeting faces of the two sections of the case F which are tightly bolted together. The bottom section f of the case (preferably made of brass) is dished in 'shape as seen in Fig. 4, and has in it an as shown in Fig. 4. The upper section f* of the case is also dished or ccncavo-convex in shape, having in its top a tubular connection f5 -with the valve box G, as shown. In the top of the valve box is an inlet connected with the water su ply pipe E by a vbranch g, at a point in a vanceA of the thermostaticallycontrolled valve e, so that it shall be unaffected' b the opening or closing of said valve; and 1n the bottom of the valve box is an outlet connected by a branch g to the water discharge pipe E, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. The inlet to the valve box as seen in Fig. 4 is controlled by a Vvalve g2, and the out-let therefrom is controlled by a valve g3. These valves are pivoted to the opposite ends of an arm g -mounted between its two ends upon, and .Y

The rocking movement of the spindlel g is derivedl from the float C within the liquid receiver C. For this purpose, the outer end of the spindle g5, has fastened to it a radial arm g having a pin and slot connection with the lower end of a connecting rod g5, as shown in Fig. 1 (the slot being in the rod g5), said connecting rod gs, being piv-A otally connected at its upper end to the end of la crank arm c fast on the outer end of a rock shaft c, 'which extends into the interior of the liquid receiver C through a bearing sleeve o provided for that purpose in the. wall of the liquid receiver, and 1s prQvided at its inner extremity with a radialrod or arm c", which is jointed at its other extremthe top 'of the float C. The parts of this connecting mechanism between the rpck Larnaca gr3 are connected, andthe float are so proportioned and adjusted, and the length of the slot in the lower end otthe connecting rod gB is such, that` the two valves will be shifted at the time the Hoat in its rise. or descent reaches the predetermined limit of its movement. When the iloat C is in its lowest position, (in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) the inlet valve g lwill be open, andthe outlet valve g8 will, e shut. Under these conditions water from the source kof water su'ply (which should be under an adequate ead, say 51 lbs. or thereabout to' the square inch) Hows through the inlet branch g into the valve box G, and thence into the waterchamber in the case F above the diaphragm 7,thus

distending and depressing the diaphragm as far as'permitted by the lower Idished case section f andthe disk f? on the underside of thediaphragm. The arts are shown in this position in lFig. 4. hen however the valves g?,- g" are shifted so as to close the inlet valve andl open .the outletv valve the inlet branch g to the'valve box G 's closedv thus shutting oil the water supply, and the outlet branch g is opened, thus relieving the water pressure from above the dia' phragm, and permitting the water from the rire Eap 'l`his arrangement is availed oi as iollows to operate the gas and water valves b e2. v

,To the under side of the annular rim of the hydraulic diaphragm case'lF, and diametrically oppositeone another, are secured two brackets h in each of which is pivoted between its ends a leverli', the mneropposite ends h2 of which are upturn'ed and project up through'the central opening, f2, in

` the'bottom section of the case F, against the diaphragm f shown in disk f3 attached to the under face of the above, and are held" against said disk with yielding pressure 'by means oIl a tension spring s stretched between andv connected" by its ends to thegdownwardly extending third arms ht' ot the levers h The exterior opposite ends lof the twolevers are connected, the one to the watervalve e andthe other to the gas valve orcock b', by connectinv rods'lt11 and it respectively as igl. v Under this arrangement, whenever and so longl as-the inlet valve g is open and the outlet `valve ga isclosed', water will enter the valve box 'and'diaphragm chamber in the i case F, and by `its head will depress the diaphragm'- fagainst the resistance of the,

spring s, with the` e'ect of rocking the levers h in a vdirection to open the gas and water valves t', e', thus admitting gas' to the burner B', and cutting out from the cooling water circulating system the cooling coil El inthev liquid containing portion of the genboxto escape and pass ed to the discharge.

, .the dehydrator tube i' erator-absorber, as indicated in Figs. l, 2

and 4, the Heat C in the liquid receiver C bein in itslowest position. On the other han when the ammoniarliquid has accumul lated in the liquid receiver in suilicient quantity to raise Vthe Heat to a predetermined llmit, the inlet and outlet valves` g2,

the outlet, thus shutting 0HL water from the diaphragm chamber and opening up com munication between it and the discharge pipe E5, and consequently relievin the water pressure on the diaphragm f, an permitting the levers h to ybe pulledlby the spring e in a direction to close the gas and water valves, b', e', with the edect of shutting oil the gas 'from the burner B and including the cooling coil lEt-in' the water circulating system.

This arrangement for lcontrolling the heat-y ing and cooling means for the generator ploy the diaphragm check valve arrangement indicated in Fig. 2' and shown on engs will be shifted to close the inlet, and open I larged scale and in detailin lFig. 3, which we havel found to be sensitive and edective in operationfor this purpose. i

From the as space within the generatorabsorber, a

throughthe shell of the generator-absorber, with a downward inclination from its outer to its inner endl so that whatever. liquid; it may condense will How back and dropehydrator tube J, open atvits `inner end and closed at its outer end, passes les Y into the body of `liquid in the lower portion` l of the generator-absorber; The upper terininal of the dehydrating coil E2, as shown in'Fig. 2, asses out from the shell of the.

iio

generator-a sorber loigitudinally 'through o through the pipe et with the v.water jacket of the condenser coil, thereby further cooling the gas in the dehydrator tube. and aiding in the precipitation and separation of any water vapor that may bev mixed with it. The valve e on the pipe y' is a hand-operated' valve to be used only incase of repair tothe generator-absorber.

before connecting l llnterposed between the dehydrator tube J and the condenser is the diaphra check valve arrangement, consisting o a diaphragm case ll divided' horizontally ,intox two chambers by a dia hragm e of suit-` able elastic material. he lower cham-` ber has ari inlet e" communicating with the pipe y' leading from the gas space yol the generatorabsorber, and an outlet e' leading through pipe Yetto the inlet end d of the cohrangement, whenever and so 'long as the pressure inthe generator-absorber is above the pressure in the liquid receiver combined with that of the spring (which is during the distilling period) the diaphragm d will thereby be forced upward, carrying with it the. diaphragm check valve "5, and thus opening outlet 2, and allowing gas to pass whence it is conducted through pipe s to the inlet end d of the condenser D, and thence in`- liquid form to the liquid re ceiver C.

when the naar is filled with liquid am:

monia to the required height, and gas, as

before explained, is consequently cut olf from theburner, the pressure in the generator of course begins to drop. But-by the time lthe generator pressure has Ldropped to receiver pressure, the superior pressure from above on the diaphragm due toA the independent laction of the spring s', will have depressed the-diaphragm sufficiently to have correspondingly depressed the iaphragm check valve z'a to close the outlet 2 throu li which the generator communicates with t e receiver; and :further reduction.o'fpressure after the valv e has -thus closed, will cause the'now superior pressure in the receiver, to act on the diaphragm from above, in con- Junction. with the spring, to hold the diaphra check valve tightly and securely close against the back flow of any gas from the receiver to the generator-absorber.

It remainsito describe the means for controlling the temperature of the refrigerator which is associated with the apparatus thus far described, andisshown separately, and to a large extent diagrammatically in Figs. A6 and 7, p

In Fig. 6 is shown more or less schematically so much of a refrigerator 84,01 any usual or approved type-such for example 55 as may be usedin households or in'hotels or the like-as needed te illustrate this ortion -of our improvements. 'In' the ice c amber '85 of said refrigeratorare located the devices which/refrigerating action is had, comprising the casing`86 havingat or near f bottom of Athe liquid receiver C (Fig 2), and at the/'top an outlet pipe 101, leadingv back tothe generator-absorber which it enters at a point below the level'of theli'quid out therethrough from the lower chamber -out through a stufling box l, and hasy on-its its bottom an inlet pipe 94, leading from the .A therein, and discharging into the generatorabsorber at that point through a perforated pipe section 10U- suitable check valves 102, 103 bein provided in the ipe 101 to prevent bac pressure from t e generator-absorber. These parts of the refrigerator and its connections with the liquid receiver and the generator-absorber, are the same as illustrated and described in the said Bornhauser application Serial N o. 149,516, and are identified by like reference characters.

The inlet pipe 94 opens into a valve case lc projecting laterally through the wall of the casing 86, into the interior of the same, and

-having its discharge passage k', controlled 80 by a screw valve lc, provided with a radial operating arm Ica, connected by a link connection kt, to the bottom of the float 93, within the casing 86. The valve k2, is actuated to open or close according as Athe iioat falls or rises and they operate to maintain a constant levell of ammonia in the chamber 86, thus drawing ammonia from the liquid receiver C only las rapidly as vthe ammonia expands in casing 86, the evaporated and 'expanded ainmonla returning through the pipe 101 to be re-absorbedby the liquid in the generator-absorber. We prefer this screw valve arrangement to that shown for a similar purpose in said Bornhausers application Ser.` No.' 149,516, for the reason that it is more certain in action and less liable to clog.

To control the temperature in the refrigerating chamber 85, we interpose in the out- 100 .let pipe 101, which leads the vapor from the expansion chamber, or casin 86, vback to the generator-absorber, a the mostatic diaphragm valve devi This device, located in the refrigeratin chamber 85, comprises a valve body or case L interposed in the outlet pipe line 101 as shown and containing a valve seat Z', and a vertically reiprocatm valve Z, the'stein of-which passes down an projecting lower end a-disk l", held in yielding contact with a diaphragm m of suitable elastic material,` by an expansion spiral spring a2, encirclin the valve stem and con- K fined between` the ead of the stuin box Z2, and a nut Z* on the screw threade portion of the stem. The diaphragm closes the topof a chamber formed in the dished or concavo-convex receptacle M, which is connected to a flask m beneath it, by atube m. y

The device as a wholeis connected to the ring- N, and extendingupwardly and bend- 1s0 lio.

naar,

v a high co-eliicientrof expansion, as for eX- am le alcohol. When temperature in the coo ing or refrigerating chamber is above a predetermined required pointthe liquid erpands sufficiently to `torce the 'diaphragm upward with sudicient torce to raise the valve Z from its seat against the opposing stress 'oit' the spring s2, thus allowing the ex panded ammonia gas in expansion chamber .86 to escape and pass back through pipeIGl vto the generator-absorber, where it will be absorbed. 0n the other hand when the temerature in the cooling chamber 85 drops low the predetermined required point the liquid in the chamber'll/l and dash contracts,

. t er e a oration here.

and allows the valve to seatl itself through the action of spring s2, thus closing the out- 'let from the expansion chamber 86, and setting up af pressure in said chamber which prevents or retards the evaporation oi the ammonia, and the reduction ot temperature consequent upon such evaporation. llpon the rise ot temperature to the proper degree,

Vdue to the checking oi the/evaporation, thel thermostatic valvevvill again-open. ln this way it is racticable to maintain a substantially uni crm temperature in the retriger` ator, it) being easier to thus handle the ain-- `m'onia `1n gaseous Adorm han` in liquid l'tor'rn as at-the ammonia liqui erating chamber. "The general scheme el operationol the 'apparatus' in which our improvements are incorporated has been indicated inthe. ltoreoing ecldcation and does not require lur- I ln conclusion'we desire it toelage-understood-that we fdo not claim broadly the injcludingot the Acooling coil"4 and 'the crater-absorber i'na lay-pass trom the coo ing water circulation' system oit the' apparatus which'is'thrown into-and out of circuit with that system, according. as vthe' generatori-absorber is acting 4as-an absorber-or as a gen-l erator, by means responsive to variations'in y the oleveloot ammonialiquid in' 'the li uid receiver,l inasmuchas the same is the subject,

among other things, ot the aforesaid Bornhauser application hl'o. 149,516, von, which Letters Patent will iue ot' even' date here-.41 with. Nor do we claim broadly the usent a thermostatic deviceat the outlet ot the bild Un the other hand, having'described our. 1

improvements and the best way now knownto us oi carrying the same linto practical edect, we desire -it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves strictly to the structural .details hereinbeztore set forth in illustration ot our invention, since vmanifestly the same can be varied considerably without departure from the spirit of thev invention; but what we claim as'new and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Y 1., ln a'prefrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type, the combination with the generator-absorber,.the condenser the ammonia liquid receiver, a burner anv gas supply therefor torheating the generator-absorber, a coolin water circulatingv system, and a cooling coil in the generatorabsorber included in a by-pass from said system, of valves for controlling the gas' supply to the burner, and the water supply to-the b -pass including the cooling coll; a hydraulic diaphragm and chamber closed variations in the level oi the ammonia liquid -by said diaphragm; means responsive to in thesreceiver lor admitting water under pressure to, and dischar 'ng it from, the hydraulic chamber; an connections betweenl the gas and cooling coil valves and the hydraulic diaphragm whereby the opening and closing of said valves is controlled by the movements of said diaphra 2. lln a ret'rigerating apparatu ot the type specified, the combmation with the gencrater-absorber, the condenser and the receiver, oi a diaphragm check-valve device comprising essentially a diaphragm case, a diaphragm dividing the `space within the diaphragm case into two chambers, the one chamjber having an inlet connected with the gas space ot the generator-absorber and anA outlet' connected tothe inlet end-of the condenser, and containin a check valve secured to and movin with t Ae diaphragm inyposihaving an inlet, which hasV a common connection with the outlet in the drst mentioned l tion to contro said inlet, the other chamber y l phragm inv a' direction t9 close the' check valve-upon the inlet 'communicating with the gasspace yolf the generator-absorber,

hereinbetore set forth. v i

v these` parts being-arranged for 'ointoperav tion substantially'as and tor t e purposes,

refrigeratin 4 or cooling chamber and the expansionA c amber within the same having an inlet communicating with theA li uid4 ren rceiver-andafloat operated valve or veenf t5 expansion chamber4 et a rellrrgerating aptrolling said-inlet, and an outlet comm nifslt' 12a I l eating through lsuitable connections with the generator-absorber, of a thermostatic diaphragm check valve device for controlling said outlet, comprising essentially a, check valve spring-pressed in a direction to normally close said outlet; a receptacle containing a body of liquid having a. high coeiiicient of expansion; and an elastic diaphragm closing the receptacle, and tending when expanded to move the kvalve in a 10 In testimony whereof We aix our signa- 176 tures.

OTTO E. BORNHAUSER. J. EDWARD HERMAN. 

